


Keeping a Promise

by gillywulf



Category: Tomb Raider & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Comic-Con, Crossover, F/F, First Meetings, Genderfluid Character, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rugby, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2016-11-06
Packaged: 2018-04-01 02:49:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 15,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4002985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gillywulf/pseuds/gillywulf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The point of fics set in alternate universes are to show that no matter what setting or circumstance, these two people will always find each other. I will find you. Every me loves every you."</p><p>A collection of SS Endurance Tumblr prompts/fics.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. met at ComicCon AU

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me at gillywulf.tumblr.com where prompts may or may not be open. But please ask or check my page for that before submitting anything. If they are open, I'd love to hear what you'd like. Thank you!

“I’m Sam Nishimura, and _this_ is London Comic Con” She grinned into the camera, waiting for a signal that she was done. The camera man nodded to her only a few seconds later and she immediately sagged in relief and whirled around to inspect the Con floor. 

“Good introduction and summary. Definitely won’t need to re-film those bits” he said, doing the same. Sam rolled her eyes. 

“That’s good news,” she mumbled irritably, “aren’t there supposed to be a bunch of hot people dressed in weird revealing clothes at these things? It’s the only reason I took this job”

“You realize they’re all nerds right?”

“Doesn’t mean they can’t be hot” As she said it, her eyes landed on a a girl awkwardly inspecting a table a few feet away. Even hidden beneath a grey t-shirt, cargo pants, and boots, Sam could tell that she was _gorgeously_ fit and her face matched that. “Speak of the devil” she chuckled. She pushed the microphone  into the cameraman’s chest and walked towards the stunning girl. It was rather adorable how uncomfortable she looked. “Hi” The girl’s head shot up, surprised. 

“Hello” Her eyes traveled up and down Sam’s body and _oh_ , that was promising. She stuck a hand out with a smirk. 

“I’m Sam” she greeted. The hand that wrapped around hers was warm and firm, littered with callouses that spoke of an active life. 

“Lara”

“So Lara, what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?” Sam leaned against the table to better show off the curve of her body. Judging by the way Lara blushed, it was a good choice. She was also ninety percent sure the table’s vendor was watching the exchange with excitement, as the majority of people in the Artist’s Alley were crusty lusty men. 

“My friend wanted company. He was scared to come here alone. What’s a girl like _you_ doing here?” Lara seemed to have gotten over her surprise because she raised an eyebrow as she leaned in a little closer. Sam immediately raised her flirting mode, stepping into Lara’s space. 

“Oh, you know. Doing the whole journalism thing, finding all the hot girls” There it was. The girl’s face was tomato red as her mouth opened and closed like a fish, trying to come up with words to say. 

“Lara! Look at this awesome Keyblade-” 

“Not _now_ , Alex” Lara growled at the interrupting male. Sam could have laughed at the squeak he made as he ran away. She watched Lara shift from foot to foot in order to regain her composure. “So journalism. Tell me more” Sam grinned.


	2. fat Lara with a summer transformation

“So you’re going to come over soon, right? Because I’ve been _so_ bored by myself” Sam flopped heavily onto her bed, her phone pressed into her ear. On the other end of the line, Lara laughed. 

“I’m already on my way. Just a warning though, I may not be great company. Roth ran me absolutely _ragged_ this summer”

“I know! You complained so very much in your phone calls” Sam teased. Lara huffed.

“Cheeky. Now let me in, I’m here” Sam rang off her phone and hopped off her bed to sprint downstairs. Lara Croft had been her other half for years, as boarding school was impossible to go through alone. They had just clicked. Half of their teachers didn’t even know which was which. 

“Lara!” Sam shouted through the door as she swung it open and promptly froze. Whatever she had expected was not in front of her. 

“Sam?” Now, Sam had know that she was bi for at least a year, and a couple times she’d thought about Lara as a little more than a friend. They got on like a house on fire, how could she not? But _this_ , this was wet dream material. 

Lara’s previously pudgy body had slimmed down and muscled up. Any baby fat she had before the summer, had been shot, stabbed, and ripped apart by Roth’s ridiculous training. And _boy_ was it _lovely_. 

“Uh...Sam? Are you all right?” Lara was concerned now. She was insecure about her new look and seeing her best friend stare at her in disbelief did nothing for that fear. Sam shook her head and let her eyes go wide. 

“Lara, you look _hot_. And I’m not one to say that when it’s not true. Jesus, what the hell did he do to you?” She crossed the threshold and ran her fingertips up and down Lara’s toned arms and abs, gaping all the while. The muscles twitched nervously and _oh yes_ , she fancied that. 

“Just uh, what he usually does, only more intensive really” Lara knew Sam was touchy-feely, but the hands on her skin was a new level. 

“Well,” Sam gave her a predatory grin, “I just got a new bikini that I want to see you in right now. Let’s go swimming” 

“I’d rather not”

“I’d rather _yes_ ”


	3. when Lara and Sam first see each other on the island , Lara can't help it and runs and kisses Sam for the first time

It had easily been one of the longest days of her life. She had woken up that morning swinging from a meat hook, the corpses showing her likely future, then walked around a terrifying island all day with a bleeding puncture in her side as she tried to avoid the rain and provide for herself. Only Roth’s voice in the walkie and the hope of seeing everyone (Sam) again spurred her on. 

The sound of a conversation in the distance spurred her even further. 

She burst out of the cave and raced towards the flickering fire in the distance. The best part was that it was Sam’s voice that she heard. She ducked behind a half destroyed wall and carefully peaked around the corner. And what a sweet sight it was. 

Sam, _her_ Sam was perched on a boulder by the fire clutching a walkie. Her face lit up at the sight of her best friend. 

“Lara! You made it!” She shot up on wobbly feet so Lara darted to meet her, catching her just as she began to pitch forward. Sam just giggled and touched her cheek. “Whoopsie” A surge of violent affection rushed through Lara at the sound. Besides Roth, Sam was the most important person in her life and she’d nearly lost her in the crash. She almost never got the chance to _tell_ her. 

She was kissing her before she knew what she was doing. She had gotten lost in Sam’s eyes and the soft brush of her skin and the press of her body against hers. By the time she realized what she’d done, Sam was kissing her back just as hard. Oh, well, okay. 

Her hands tightened on Sam’s hips and the girl’s arms came up to wrap around her neck. Then Sam did something with her tongue that was just _bliss_ and she had to moan. Someone cleared their throat and Lara ripped away. Sam grinned at her sheepishly, her cheeks tinged a pleasant pink. 

“My bad. I got sidetracked,” she winked and Lara rolled her eyes, “this is Matthias. He’s on our side. Matthias, this is my better half, Lara” The man she gestured to looked worse for wear. He hobbled along on a makeshift crutch and his skin looked roughened by weather, time, and experience. Lara wondered if her skin would look like that. 

“If not for the circumstances, I’d say nice to meet you. But it looks like you’re having a reunion I shouldn’t be here for” his deep scratchy voice teased, his eyes flitting from one girl to the other. That’s right, Lara had just _snogged_ her best friend in front of a total stranger. 

“Yes, the circumstances are rather unfortunate-” Sam gripped Lara’s arm, cutting her off. 

“Come on, sit. I was just telling him about Himiko”


	4. The 100 / SS Endurance crossover with lara/sam

Sam kicked a rock with a frustrated huff and stuffed her hands further into her jacket pockets. 

“Why am I not surprised that Murphy’s being a dick? Was he ever anything but? No, but now the rest of us are paying for it” They’d been on the ground for less then two days and already she wanted to kick half the people she was stuck with. 

But their competencies didn’t diminish the beauty around her. She wished she had a camera for all the bright colors and small wildlife. Birds dipped and small rodents scurried along the ground into their holes at the sight of her. She wished cameras could capture the smell of the air and the feel of the breeze on her skin. She wanted all of it forever. However, there was no camera like that, and no camera at all in her possession. 

Even without her favorite piece of technology (it’s what she went to the skybox to protect), she imagined how shed shoot it. If she got the right angle on those trees, she could just get that bird flying overhead in the distance and wouldn’t _that_ be cool? She held up her fingers to box the frame and froze. 

There, in the trees, were a set of eyes that stared back at her. They watched her with intelligence and fear set deep in Sam’s bones. It was too far to run back to camp - she knew wandering so far without thinking was a bad idea, but _Murphy_ \- so she just had to sit tight and pray. 

Whatever body the eyes were attached to slid out of view from the tree, but the soft rustling told her it hadn’t left. It was rather terrifying to realize that if she hadn’t had her director eyes on, she probably wouldn’t have seen the eyes. 

It was even more terrifying to see the tip of an arrow emerge from a bush beneath the tree. Then slowly, a bow, arms, legs, and the eyes. The eyes sat in a beautiful blank face, smudged with black warpaint. Long dark hair was tied into a ponytail at the back of her head and the odd clothes that covered her body made her both intimidating and alluring. Sam raised her hands in front of her. 

“Hi, I really don’t want to die right now. It’d be really awesome if you didn’t kill me” Did she even speak English? It was probably too late to ask. She took a hesitant step backwards. 

“Stop” The single words cut through the fog of fear clouding Sam’s head. That was definitely English. “Sit” 

“Yeah, okay. No problem” Sam lowered herself to the ground, not once losing eye contact with the grounder or her arrow. 

“Who are you? Why are you so far from your camp? Are you a scout?” Okay, so pretty good English. 

“Uh, I’m Sam. I got a little lost. And no?” The arrow dipped and there was something like disappointment in the girl’s eyes. “Who are you? Why are you so close to our camp?” she ventured. The grounder threw the bow across her body in a fluid motion and shoved the arrow into its quiver in the next. Before Sam knew it, a sword had unsheathed itself but dangled lazily from her hand. Clearly Sam wasn’t a threat. 

“Doesn’t matter” 

“I’m just gonna call you Henrietta. That’s a good name, right? So Henni, if it doesn’t matter, why were you spying on me?” No response. “Henrietta, that’s not nice of you-”

“Lara” the girl growled out. “Do not call me by any name besides my own” Her bright eyes bore into Sam’s and it was suddenly very hard to breathe. 

“Lara. That’s an even better name”


	5. meeting in a support group au

Sam knew who she was the moment she walked into the room. She’d seen the news, she wasn’t stupid. But she was surprised. 

Lara Croft had endured something no one should have to and managed to come out alive. Because of that, her face was plastered on every news channel and every newspaper. Even her own father had mentioned her in his deleted voicemails. She was just as beautiful and guarded as everyone made her out to be. The discovery of a lost civilization didn’t seem worth it after the coverage. 

She didn’t speak for the first two months she attended and Sam could see the hilt of a knife strapped to her belt. Her eyes would flash around each of the room’s occupants, searching for weapons and threats that didn’t exist. Sam would share her story for the week then spend the rest of the meeting staring. 

When the meetings ended, Lara was always the first out of the room, as if staying to mingle would rip apart every last one of her stitches, body or mind. Week after week, nothing changed, until one day she raised her hand. Jimmy, the groups coordinator blinked and grinned widely. He nodded in her direction. 

“Do you have something to share?” She nodded her head jerkily. “Then please introduce yourself and go right ahead” The buzzing of the fluorescent lights was the only sound for a full minute before she managed to speak. 

“My name is Lara” Her voice cracked from disuse. Sam wondered if she had anyone to talk to outside of the meetings, not that she talked to anyone there. 

“Hi Lara” came the chorused reply. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and tugged her hoodie closer to her body. 

“Erm. I’m afraid of everything. I can’t even look at my passions anymore, they just remind me of all the people I lost and the things I did. The things I escaped to before give me nightmares. It’s been six months yet...” she tapped her foot restlessly, “I don’t feel as if I’ve made any progress” she mumbled. 

“You just can’t see it” The words slipped out of Sam’s mouth before she had even thought them. Lara’s eyes snapped to hers. She might as well run with it. “I know from experience that healing can be slow and sometimes impossible to see, but you do get better, even if it doesn’t seem like it” Lara’s eyes bore into her, all uneasy interest. Sam tried not to squirm in her seat. 

But the survivor just nodded. The silence only added to her mystery, but despite the intrigue, the meeting went on. The second Jimmy dismissed them, Lara took off, Sam hot on her heels. 

“Hey, wait! Lara!” The woman stopped and turned. Her body was tense. Sam swallowed before speaking. “Uh, hi. I’m Sam-”

“-Nishimura and you’re a reporter. I’m not doing interviews” Lara cut in as she turned away.

“Well, I _used_ to be a reporter, yeah, but I’m not now, and I don’t want to do an interview with you” The woman eyed her suspiciously. 

“Then what _do_ you want?” 

“To talk. You’ve never offered anything at a meeting before and I just thought it might be a good idea to try and capitalize on that. It’s fine if you don’t, I totally get it” The invitation hung in the air and Sam was sure of a rejection. This was someone who probably hadn’t spoken a great deal in months, why would she want to start now?

“Okay” Sam balked. 

“Okay?”

“Yes. There is a coffee shop around the corner”

“Yeah, sounds great”


	6. I had a thought: what about an SS Endurance fic in which Lara faces hallucinations similar to Korra's at the start of book 4? Of the monster she became on Yamatai

Hands were on her throat and it was suddenly impossible to breathe. If she _had_ been able to breathe, she would have felt the air rush from her lungs at the familiar sight above her. Lara herself stared down at her with a feral ferociousness that she knew intimately. 

She’d felt it after all. 

She launched her knee upwards into a gut and found herself rolling off the bed violently, the room empty except for her. Lara lay on the floor as she tried to stop panting. The door flung open before she could. Sam’s eyes whipped around the room and landed on Lara, her legs still tangled in her sheets. 

“Lara! Are you okay? What happened?” She fell to the floor and immediately began tugging her free. 

“I’m all right” the Englishwoman answered at length. The look on Sam’s face clearly disagreed. 

“Sweetie, I didn’t want to say anything until you were ready, but you’re _not_ okay. Not by any measure. I just,” she paused, looking lost for words, “want to help” For a whole second, Lara considered telling her everything. She considered telling her that she saw the monster she became on Yamatai on almost a daily basis. She considered telling her that version of herself was constantly trying to kill her. She considered telling her that she wished she would. 

But she didn’t.

“It’s nothing to worry about” Her feet now untangled, Lara got to her feet, touching her hip gingerly where it had collided with the floor. She dutifully ignored Sam’s worried gaze. 

“Fine” Sam sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes downcast. “Will you at least tell me next time you see her?” Lara was sure that speed at which she snapped her head up broke the sound barrier. Her eyes were wide in shock. 

“What? How did you know?” She watched Sam play with her fingers. It was oddly incongruent with the conversation. 

“You don’t look in the mirror anymore. And when you do you flinch real bad. It took me a while, but I pieced it together” the filmmaker whispered into the quiet of the dark room. “It’s hard to be there for you when I don’t know what I’m up against” 

Lara felt everything inside her crack. Sam knew. Sam _knew_. Something like relief flooded her body and she wanted to laugh, _really_ laugh, for the first time in months. But she just nodded. 

“Yes. I will tell you” she promised. Sam smiled, seeing the victory for what it was. 

“Thank you”


	7. You were chased by the cops, got in my car and just yelled ‘Drive!’

“Baby, I know places we won’t be found and they'll be chasing their tails tryin' to track us down cause I, I know places we can hide, I know places, I know places” Sam sang the words with all of the conviction she had in her heart. One didn’t sing Taylor Swift half-heartedly, it was impossible. 

Her hands bopped jovially on the steering wheel as she drove through downtown. She was finally home in London filming abroad for a few months and she was surprisingly energetic for having just got off a ten hour flight. She’d probably go home and shower and then try and find a good club to go to, maybe get laid. 

She rolled up to a red light and braked carefully. It was odd for her to be so patient with the light changes, but she rolled with it. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth and all that. Just as the lights on the intersecting road began to turn red, the door to her backseat was flung open and someone dived in. 

“Drive!” a voice demanded. Sam tried to shift around in her seat to argue. “Later! Go _now_!” Her foot slammed into the gas pedal before her brain could question it. Car horns honked after her, but there was no stopping now. 

“What are you doing in my car? Is- Is that blood? Do _not_ bleed on my seats! That is a very expensive cleaning job that I don’t want to pay” she warned with a quick glance to the rear view mirror. 

The girl slouched in Sam’s back seat was stunning, all soft jawline, killer cheekbones and bright eyes. Had they met on the street or in a club and Sam would have turned the charm to 300%. The only thing was that the girl was covered in blood. Her lip was split, bruises were forming on her face, shallow cuts interrupted the smooth skin of her arms, and a large wound was bleeding through her shirt. 

“I won’t soil your car” she huffed as her eyes closed and her head dropped back against the seat. 

“What is even going on? Should I take you to the hospital?” Sam jerked the steering wheel to avoid a car in front of her. 

“No! Just, I don’t know. Take me to your apartment or something. I’ll stitch myself up and be gone in the morning” 

“Look, if this is some elaborate plan to have sex- _are those cops chasing us_?” Sam’s eyes bulged at the sight of the flashing lights behind her. “What did you _do_?”

“They’re not actually police if that’s any consolation. Take a sharp right here, then a left on the round about” the girl instructed casually. Sam laughed a little hysterically. 

“Yeah, that totally makes me feel better” She rolled her eyes. “Why are they chasing you if they aren’t really cops?” The car leaned dangerously as she took the sharp left. 

“I’m an archeologist. I found something that they want to use to hurt a lot of people” Well. That was a good reason. 

“I’ll take that,” the car swerved again and suddenly the not-cops were gone, “so who am I helping save the world?” Through the mirror, she could see the girl smile at the question and it was lovely. 

“Lara. My name’s Lara. And you are?”

“I’m Sam. Let’s save the world”


	8. Lara is supposed to be fearless, right? Well how about she's scared of something that Sam isn't and Sam thinks it's cute but she also keeps bragging about how she's braver than Lara

Lara was half asleep at the mere mention of the film’s _name_. How she intended to stay awake through the whole thing was a mystery, especially with Sam’s fingers threading through her hair over and over again at such a comforting pace. 

“If you keep humming like that, I’m gonna miss every single part of this and the lighting they’re using is _fantastic_ so it’d be a royal shame” Sam joked as her fingers gently scraped the back of Lara’s neck. Truthfully, the archeologist couldn’t be happier. 

With Sam’s chest pressed close to her back and her body bracketed by slender legs as they stretched out on the sofa, there wasn’t an ancient lost civilization that could spur her to movement. Anything that took her from Sam’s hands would be more of an annoyance than Reyes’s morning scowls. 

“Yes, but then you’d miss my charming and witty anecdotes”

“Yes, because I need you to fact-check everything I watch”

“You do” Sam laughed at her and buried her face into Lara’s neck, peppering kisses along her skin. 

“Why do I-” A loud crash of thunder shuddered through the flat and Lara flew from her grasp to curl into herself with her eyes closed and her hands over her ears. The filmmaker stared at her in disbelief. “Sweetie?”

“I’m all right. Nothing is wrong at all, I’m just-” This time they saw the lightning before the thunder and Lara all but collapsed to the ground. Sam followed, her hands traveling over her girlfriend’s body in an attempt to soothe her. 

“Lara? Are you afraid of thunder?” she asked, smoothing hair out of Lara’s face. 

“Not at all, I’m-” Lara was interrupted with a jerky cringe as more lightning and thunder announced themselves. “Yes. Since I was a girl. I despise it. It’s rather unbecoming of an adventurer. Roth is always scolding me for it” She practically dove for Sam’s lap when nature flashed again. 

“How did I not know this? I feel like this is one of those things I should know”

“I guess it never came up” Lara shrugged. Unsure, Sam let her fingers resume their earlier activities and began carding them through Lara’s hair. 

“Okay, so what do you normally do?” 

“Sit on the floor until it passes” Sam rolled her eyes and shook her head. _So_ self-suffering. 

“Nuh-uh. Not this time, snuggle up” She swiped the knit blanket from the back of the sofa (it took a bit of reaching) and wrapped it around the two of them. 

“Thank you, Sam” came the murmured reply. The Englishwoman pressed every part of her that she could to Sam’s body and she couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Anytime. But look how the tables have tabled. _I’m_ the brave one now” She didn’t get a laugh like she had expected, but a shy glance from the woman curled into her chest. 

“You’re always the brave one”


	9. Food sneak attack

Lara would have thought that after the _years_ of knowing and living together, Sam would know that all she had to do was ask to get some of Lara’s food. But no. She _needed_ to be stealthy. She just _had_ to try and one up Lara. The fork stabbed at another slice of her brownie was gone. It wasn’t even all that big and Sam was going to eat the whole damn thing. 

She turned to glare at her friend, fork dangling from her mouth. _Guilty_. 

“Sam, really?” she deadpanned. Sam turned to her with comically wide eyes, as innocent as she could manage. If Lara didn’t know how _not_ innocent she was, she might have believed it. 

“What?” 

“ _Sam_ ”

“Lara” They stared each other down. But Lara knew that she wouldn’t crack. She couldn’t. She had too much to lose. Her food was at stake here. Sam was well fed enough, she didn’t need to mooch. Her friend giggled and went back to her magazine as if nothing had happened. Lara stared at her in amazement and shook her head. Sam was a different breed. 

Another five minutes passed, giving Lara a false sense of security, because really, she was too surprised when a fork invaded her plate again. It was the final straw. 

“Stop it,” she slapped it away and stabbed at her own brownie, “open up” She held the mouthful up for her friend to be eaten. Sam blinked at her then smiled too widely. 

“It’s alright, I’m full” Lara glared. 

“Sam”

“ _Lara_ ” The stand-off continued until Sam giggled loudly and uncontrollably for a solid five minutes, Lara frowning all the while. 

“You are rather insufferable” 

“And yet you still love me” Lara sat back in her chair, her eyes tracking the movement of Sam’s fork across her plate to the brownie, and again as it passed through Sam’s lips. She bet that is she kissed her right then she’d taste like chocolate. She tried not to think about it. 

“Unfathomably”


	10. S.S Endurance, rugby AU? Maybe Sam's sent from the uni newspaper to take photos of the Women's Rugby team for whatever, and gets suuuper distracted by their captain.

Sam adjusted the camera lens as the team finished their warm up lap around the pitch. She tried to take a picture continuously so that she might catch every player on the team as they filtered past her. It was days like this that reminded Sam was she was so thankful to be bi. The (hot) men had finished playing only minutes before and now the (hot) women were about to play. It was glorious. 

She pulled the camera away from her face and flipped through the pictures. She stopped on the last one and froze. The girl bringing up the end of the line was _ferociously_ gorgeous. 

The high-res camera had caught the pre-game determination in her eyes as her soft-looking lips parted in her heavy breathing. It was too alluring. Sam’s head shot up and she scanned the team until she found her-

_taking off her shirt_. 

Her jaw was definitely on the floor. The girl’s back was unfairly chiseled, but then she turned around and _those abs_. She felt herself point the camera and click it, but her eyes were glued to the taut skin. It was a major disappointment when she pulled a flattering uniform over her body, but it allowed Sam to come back to herself. She cleared her throat awkwardly and starting taking notes on the game. 

The action was rough and brutal but her eyes (and camera) kept drifting to the backfield where _the_ girl was waiting for a breakaway or a punt. When one did come her way, she caught the ball neatly and tucked the ball against her body. She ran full speed towards the other team, and somehow, weaved around every single one of them to the trizone where she placed the ball as neatly as she caught it. 

“Jesus” Sam mumbled as she snapped picture after picture of the girl smiling in victory. The girl scored the same way another two times before the game ended. Privately, Sam thought it was dumb that the other team never adjusted for the clear and obvious strategy, but she was thankful they didn’t, as it gave her the chance to see the girl book it, her muscles tense and coil, over, and over, and _over_ …

She couldn’t stop herself from stalking (it wasn’t _really_ stalking (it kind of was)) over to her. Naturally, the girl pulled her uniform off just as she approached. Any prepared words were gone at the sight of her abs. 

“Hello? May I help you?” The girl’s voice broke into trance, her light eyes twinkling in confusion. 

“Oh, uh, hi. I’m Sam. I work for the Uni paper. Do you have a moment to talk about the game? I mean, you were the MVP, so I figure you’re the best person to ask” Sam knew she was rambling, but _her abs_. The girl smiled a little and nodded. 

“Sure. But just so you you’re aware, it’s not ‘MVP’. It’s ‘bitch of the pitch’. I’m Lara” She held out her hand and Sam took it, not so subtly feeling the muscular hand. This interview would easily be the hardest Sam had ever conducted. If only Lara would _put on a shirt_.


	11. Aimless american roadtrip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> if u can’t imagine ur otp on a long road trip together with no set destination in mind with things happening like their car breaking down at one point or stopping at a store to argue over what snacks to buy and taking turns driving while the other rests and checking into a little inn or hotel on the way and pulling off to just chill and look at the sky together

Lara could _breathe_ for the first time in months. 

It had been Sam’s idea, all the fun ones were. An aimless road trip around the United States would never have occurred to the archeologist, but here she was, dozing in the passenger seat as Sam drove them through what seemed like a desert. The radio played some pop tune that Lara would never have listened to had she not been friends with Sam and the warm sun was fought by the aircon that blew at the perfect temperature. 

“Lara?” Sam lowered the volume of the radio until it was almost inaudible; the disappearing soundtrack to their summer.

“Hmm?” She kept her eyes closed. 

“We’re probably going to stop for a bit in a mile or so. That okay?” Lara nodded and the song became louder again. Two minutes later, she felt the car decelerate and roll over crunchy gravel before they came to a stop. “We’re here, Lar” Sam announced, only to giggle when Lara stretched out her limbs. 

“What?”

“You look like a kitten. It’s adorable” Lara rolled her eyes in amusement and followed the other girl out of the car and into the diner. A few crusty middle-aged men turned and stared at them when they entered, but for the most part it was empty. Lara felt fingers slip into her own and squeeze. She squeezed back and let go as they took their seats. 

“Can I get ya drinks?” the waitress asked through her chewed gum. She was middle-aged - as was the trend it seemed - with greying brown hair swept up into a bun. Her heavy purple eyeshadow distracted from the lack of color, however. Sam scowled at the bad habit and glanced down at the menu. 

“Just water please”

“Water for me as well please” The waitress nodded and left without another word. 

“Americans” Lara huffed with a smile. Sam giggled again, shaking her head.

“I’m American. You can’t hate all of us” She flipped a page in the menu but her eyes flicked up with a smirk. 

“I suppose you aren’t so bad. You can’t get any _more_ American. It will be a deal breaker. I will _have_ to break up with you on principle” The banter hadn’t come this easy in months and it was _such_ a relief. 

“No, no. I’d renounce my Citizenship if that happened. I don’t want to _be_ more American. Plus I’ve grown too fond of you to break up now” A warm feeling settled low in Lara’s gut. It always did when Sam spoke like that. She forced herself to hide her smile and pretend that she was actually trying to choose from the menu.


	12. soulmate au

Lara had always thought the blue band around her wrist was a nice shade. It wasn’t an overbearing purple or an obnoxious yellow, but a nice relaxed blue. She liked that it was one band too; her parents had two turquoise lines each and she’s always found it to be too busy. But she could easily forget about hers by strapping her watch on and getting lost her readings. 

It wasn’t that she hated the concept, though many did. No, she simply refused to let it take any sort of priority in her life. She’d seen people ruined by focusing on their soulmate. Deranged and desperate, they would roam the sidewalks of crowded London streets, grabbing at anyone’s arm who looked even remotely close to theirs. Lara had never heard of anyone actually finding their soulmate that way. 

So she forgot about it. She had things to do anyway. Like watch Roth’s suitcase as he talked to the professor. The corridor was completely deserted so she didn’t see why she couldn’t sit in on the meeting, but she knew better than to disobey Roth. 

Light footsteps drew her attention to the stairwell just in time to see a girl huff onto the floor. Her dark hair was cut short and the side of her head neatly shaven. The hair in conjunction with the large camera dangling from around her neck proved her to be out of place in the History wing, but she flopped onto the bench outside of the professor’s office beside Lara. The girl shot her a tired smile. 

“You waiting for this guy too?” American. Interesting. 

“In a way, yes” The girl’s eyebrow raised at her wording but she didn’t ask for an elaboration. 

“Doesn’t surprise me. I’m not sure _anybody’s_ passing his class. Everyone I’ve talked to has been just as lost as me” Her face screwed up in irritation and she swung her feet back and forth below the bench. 

“I’m afraid I’m not a student of his. But I am studying archeology if you needed help” Lara offered tentatively. She didn’t know how long they’d be in the area, but she liked helping people like history so she figured it was at least worth a shot. The girl’s gaze whipped to hers, bright and excited. 

“No kidding! That sounds amazing, you’d be saving my ass _big_ time,” she held out her hand, “I’m Sam Nishumura” Had this been anyone else in the world, Lara would have smiled and taken the hand politely with her name on her lips. But this wasn’t just anyone. Because the blue band on Sam’s extended wrist was exactly the same as Lara’s. “You okay there?” 

“Your wrist” she managed weakly. Her eyes were locked and staring. “It’s-” She couldn’t find the words, so instead, she fumbled with her watch and yanked it off her wrist which she held next to Sam’s. A thick silence enveloped the pair.  What could they possibly say that would live up to the moment?

“So the old bugger doesn’t have anything for us, but that’s fine because- Lara?” The two blinked at Roth who had just emerged from the professor’s office. He frowned at the two of them with their wrists extended and their shocked faces and it was immediately obvious he knew. “I’ll just um, get a coffee downstairs” He shuffled away and the corridor was once again silent. 

“So, _Lara_. It seems that you’re my one and only” Sam said quietly after a long moment. 

“It would seem so, _Sam_ ” It should have been weird that they burst into laughter immediately afterwards. 


	13. Sam shoots a movie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I thought of an S. S. Endurance Prompt: During Lara and Sam's time at University Sam is in a directing class and has to make a (fiction) short film. She ends up having to use their room as a set, or maybe asks Lara to be an actress in it or something. Much to introvert Lara's annoyance. (you can chose if they are together yet or not. This is obviously before Yamatai)

Really, Lara should have been used to things like this by now. So what their living room was filled with people and lights and camera equipment? Wasn’t that just a normal weekend? With a sigh, she ventured into the kitchen to put away the shopping. Maybe no one would touch it. Not likely. 

“Lara!” She paused, loaf of bread held in midair and turned. Sam was pushing through the crowd of people towards her, a massive smile on her face. “Lara, I need your help” she announced when she came closer. Lara raised an eyebrow and shut the refrigerator. 

“You need my help? With what? It seems as if you have plenty of willing hands here” Sam took her hands and began walking backwards towards the sitting room. 

“Yes, but none of them can spout off the entire Japanese dynasty history. I need you to read these few lines of script, memorize them, and then think about all that stuff you’ve been studying. Then just say it in front of the camera” Sam instructed with a too-big smile. Lara frowned. 

“Sam, what-”

“Please just go with this. I know it’s ridiculous, but I’m a director, not a screenwriter. I got desperate, _please_ just go with it. I’ll take you to dinner or something after I turn it in” Sam’s soft hands found Lara’s hard shoulders and the Englishwoman sighed. There never really was a different outcome. 

“All right. Just put me in a chair. I’m not doing more than I _have_ to” Sam squealed in delight and threw her arms around Lara’s neck. 

“You are the absolute _best_ and I owe you my entire life ten times over” she spoke into her friend’s skin who merely rolled her eyes. 

“I have no doubt that I will be saving it again countless times in the future” In spite of her annoyance, her hands found Sam’s back and held her close. When Sam pulled out of the hug, it was just enough to look at Lara. Their faces were truly too close. Lara was aware that her cheeks were pink and that Sam’s were pink and that _maybe_ eyes were looking at lips but she forced herself still. 

“I have no doubt of that. You made a promise after all” Did their noses just touch?

“I did indeed”

“Sam! Is this light supposed to be at this angle? I’m not sure that’s what we want” a voice called out, shattering the moment. Sam cleared her throat and smoothed down her shirt while Lara could only stare. 

“Yes, that’s exactly how I want it. If you touched it, so help me-”


	14. AU where Lara is a cashier at a grocery store and Sam keeps coming through her line buying tiny things like a drink or lip balm one at a time.

Her shift was nearly over when she saw her. For the fifth time that day. 

The girl had short black hair and flawless skin that made the smile on her made-up lips seem that much more bright. Lara was intrigued. Probably more than she should have been. 

She’d been intrigued when the girl first showed up in her line, looking impatient as she placed down a large watermelon. But then the girl saw her and the impatience slipped off her face only to be replaced with awe. Lara blushed and ducked her head. She punched in the watermelon code (4032) and slapped a paid sticker on it. 

“Thank you for shopping at Tesco, have a nice day” Her face was burning, the girl hadn’t looked away nor changed her own expression. 

“Yeah, you too” the girl mumbled. By the time Lara looked back up, both the girl and the watermelon were gone. She couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief as she took the next customer. An hour later, the girl turned up again. This time, she slid a pack of gum onto the conveyor belt and smiled warmly. 

“Hi” she greeted. Lara felt her face heat up again at the girl’s attention. 

“Hello, did you find everything you were looking for?”

“Yep. I’m Sam. Do you work here often? I’ve never seen you before” The question caught Lara wrong footed. Why did this girl care? Why did it matter?

“I’m rather new. This is only my third week” Sam nodded sagely and pulled the money for the gum from her pocket. 

“Well let’s hope I see more of you. It’s not very often a girl as hot as you works at a grocery store” With a slow smile, she was gone. Lara stared after her. She needed time to process this. Sam didn’t make any sense, why would she say that? Why did she come back for just a pack of gum? She shook her head and decided to forget about it. 

She came in two other times. Once for a magazine and again for batteries. Now, on her _fifth_ visit, she dropped a pack on toothpicks on the belt and smiled that same smile. Lara took one look at her and turned her register light off (people still ignored it and tried to come into her line but at least it would deter some people). Sam blinked at the action and startled at Lara’s eyes piercing her’s with a surprising intensity. 

“Why do you keep coming here? Are you not going to go home until I give you my mobile number?” Lara was past the point of politeness. She’d lost that somewhere around visit number three. Sam’s eyes widened and then so did her smile. 

“I mean, I was going to visit you a few more times, but I would _definitely_ like that”

“Why?”

“‘Why’? Can’t I just want a pretty girl’s phone number? Especially when she won’t stop blushing every time she sees me” Right on queue, Lara’s face reddened again. A customer chose that moment to push his trolly into her line.

“Are you ope-” 

“I’m sorry sir, but my lane is closed” Without breaking eye contact with a grinning Sam, she called out to him. He huffed and backed his trolly out with a great effort as if she was making his entire evening go up in flames. “I get off in fifteen minutes if you’d like to wait for that number” 

“I would love to wait. Would you be opposed to me buying you dinner?”

“I would not be opposed”


	15. Lara on suicide watch

All he did was stand in the corner and watch her. It was both unnerving and irritating. Lara was 98% sure that she wasn’t going to try and commit suicide to begin with and the whole thing was a massive misunderstanding that she could do nothing about. 

She sighed and stared out the window. So she overdosed on her pain meds, so what? It was definitely an accident (she’d forgotten that she had taken them earlier) and it was obvious that she had no intention of dying, not when all she could talk about was where she planned to go next, which meant that all of this precaution was unnecessary. But Sam was worried and not doing so well, so she allowed herself to be put on suicide watch. 

“Did you really find a lost island like the news was sayin?” the nurse asked suddenly. Lara flinched but didn’t turn towards him. 

“Yes” Through the window, she could see a pair of birds flitting around one another in some elaborate dance. 

“That’s mad, that is. Do you get to name it or anythin?” She shot him a glance out of the corner of her eye, confused by his curiosity. 

“No. It already had a name” He made a humming noise in understanding. 

“So not as cool as it could be, but still somethin, right?” Lara couldn’t resist any longer and turned her upper body far faster than it was probably ready for in order to glare at the nurse. 

“What are you doing?” she demanded. His eyes went wide in alarm. 

“I was jus making small tal-”

“You’re here to make sure I don’t kill myself, not chat me up”

“Look,” He held his hands open in front of his chest to try and de-escalate the situation. Lara appreciated his attempt. “I don’t _actually_ think you’re plannin to off yourself, yeah? Whenever our friend comes in, it’s all about where you gonna go when you leave here. I thought I might as well make our time together a little less agonizin is all” His body language radiated sincerity. 

“All right” The window suddenly became interesting again so Lara attempted to let herself get lost in the comings and goings of the small birds. It was soothing, after everything, to know that not every life depended on her. To these small animals, she was worthless and that was okay. 

“What exactly happened out there?” the nurse asked after a few quiet minutes. Frankly, it was such a loaded question that Lara didn’t know where to start. Could she even? No, not really. She stayed silent.


	16. Sam teasing Lara about her geeking out over something

The movie was only about twenty minutes in, but Lara knew Sam well enough to know that they wouldn’t make it another twenty minutes. Her lips were pursed and her brow was set. Even her posture was far more stiff than Lara had seen it in a long time. 

The archaeologist wasn’t even watching the film; it was something about superheroes and she’d never really believed in them. Instead, she watched her girlfriend with amused eyes, carefully noting any changes that may spell an outburst. She saw the eye twitch just before Sam’s hand reached out and smacked at the remote, cutting power to the telly. 

“Sam?” she ventured when the filmmaker didn’t move. 

“That was the laziest, most offensive, _idiotic_ piece of film I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen ‘The Room’” Sam scoffed. Lara hid a fond smile and rubbed gentle circles into the other woman’s back. She knew the can of worms she was opening with her next question.

“Why?” Sam was off like a rocket, analyzing script choices, lighting, camera angles, and casting decisions almost faster than Lara could comprehend them. It certainly didn’t help that she couldn’t understand the lingo she was tossing around. 

“-if they _wanted_ to do a Whedon tribute, they should have just re-made ‘Firefly’, not ‘Avengers 2′! That was such a mess in and of itself! Throwing this into the mix just makes it all even more of a joke!” She took a deep breath then and actually looked at Lara for the first time since beginning her rant. “Too much?” No longer hiding her smile, Lara shook her head and drew the other woman closer to her.

“Not at all. I love seeing you so passionate. Normally I’m the one who gets carried away for hours on end. It’s nice to be on the other side of that for once” She pressed her nose to Sam’s collarbone and let her scent overwhelm her with comfort. It was amazing that even with the short amount of time they’d known each other, or even been in a relationship, she knew Sam was it for her. It was a terribly lovely thought to have. 

“But you look so cute when you do it!”

“As do you”

“Not as cute as you” Lara rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway.

“Alright, if you say so”


	17. That picture of Lara sleeping under the stars

  


 

Camping in the Australian outback was definitely one of the better ideas they'd ever had. It was beautiful, warm, and exciting during the day, and chilly and expansively beautiful at night. The countless stars shone brightly against the dark sky the stretched for miles and miles and the sight of Sam's best friend sleeping contentedly beneath them sent fluttering through her stomach. 

She’d been aware of her less than platonic feelings for a few months, but there hadn’t been an opportunity yet for her to act on them. It didn’t matter. She was wandering the Australian outback with her _best friend in the world_ with no set schedule and only the promise of checking in with Roth every once and a while. 

And while the stars were a things of awe and Ayers Rock looming in distant shadows, Sam’s eyes were drawn to the ground. Lara had one hand flopped lazily over her stomach and the other curled loosely by her face. She’d half rolled out of her sleeping bag, but Sam didn’t have the heart to wake her. 

However, her camera _was_ within reach. She snatched it up and quickly flicked it on, her eyes never leaving her subject. The moment the machine pinged to life, she lined up the shot. Lara, with the countless stars above her, was eternally preserved with a click of a button. The paper shot out of the camera and Sam tugged it out and immediately began to wave it. She was sure it did nothing, but old habits die hard. 

The comet was a surprise. The large celestial rock burned towards the horizon just over Lara’s head and Sam wondered if it was an omen. She sighed. Even if it was, she’d never know. That sort of stuff barely made sense to her. After rooting around in her bag, Sam found a pen and scribbled a caption at the bottom. 

“She’ll love _that_ ” she laughed. Lara wouldn’t. So Sam hid it in the pages of her notebook until she could get back home and tape it into her scrapbook. 

“Sam?” Lara’s sudden snuffle and shifting in her sleeping back startled her. 

“Yeah, I’m coming. Go back to sleep, Sweetie” she assured. Lara nodded sleepily and adjusted her position the slightest amount before falling back into her dream world. With a soft kiss to Lara’s hair, Sam curled up in her own sleeping back, inches from her friend’s.


	18. Could you make a SS Endurance oneshot with a genderfluid Lara if it's not too much to ask?

Sam was just finishing up her morning smoothie when she heard their bedroom door open. 

“Good morning” she called out. Sleep warmed hands grasped loosely at her hips and tugged her closer to a hard body.

“Morning” A drowsy kiss pressed to her bare shoulder. 

“Are we Lars or Lara today? Or haven’t we got that far?” An amused puff of air against her skin just about answered her question. 

“Late night working. Not awake yet” Sam nodded and twisted in the arms to give a gentle kiss. 

“Okay, so breakfast?” Sam loved their domesticity. She loved waking up in the morning to someone who loved her and made their lives so intertwined. It certainly helped to have their _bodies_ intertwined, but she loved the moments that came right after, the soft smiles and lazy giggles, the way their hands rested on each other like there was nothing else in the world that could hurt them (which they both knew to be a _drastic_ falsehood). 

She hadn’t known Lara could sometimes be Lars and vise versa when they’d met. All she knew was that this pretty girl needed to come dancing with her. Lars ended up being the better dancer. He was more confident. Now, staring from across the kitchen, Sam couldn’t be happier. 

She set down a toasted bagel on the table and earned a smile and a kiss to the cheek. She sat of the other side and took a sip of her smoothie as she flipped open the morning paper, scanning absent-mindedly. She listened as the breathing across from her became less heavy and sleepy to more awake and aware.

“Lars” he announced rather unceremoniously. Sam smiled. Silently, they continued eating. Sam would occasionally look up to make sure Lars hadn’t fallen asleep at the table, but each time he was just leaning back in his chair, observing her. She loved it. She loved _him_. “I have to go to the museum today. They want more Syria information” He picked at the bagel. 

“Are you sure you’re okay with that?” Lars shrugged and nodded.

“Yes. It isn’t worse than Yamatai at any rate” The way his eyes carefully avoided hers said that there was more to this than he was willing to say. 

“Lars. Just because you’ve been through something worse doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to feel upset. It’s okay not to feel entirely put together some days” she told him. His smile was small - microscopic really - but sincere. 

“I know”

“Good, now finish your breakfast”


	19. Cont. 18

It was the first hotel they’d spent the night at in weeks and of course it only had one bed. Lara wasn’t even all the way through the door before she was offering to sleep on the floor. Which was both typical and infuriating. 

“Lara, no. We’ve just spent nearly a month sleeping on the ground, you’re allowed the bed too. I can share a bed with someone without groping them, contrary to popular belief” Sam challenged as she set her pack down with a heavy thud. 

“I wasn’t thinking that” Lara sighed. “I just thought you might not want to be crammed next to for a night. Stretching out is nice and we haven’t exactly had that opportunity recently” She shed her dusty light jacket and her disgusting long sleeve shirt which allowed Sam’s eyes to roam over the skin with ease. The bruises and dirt speckled her and only served to make her more alluring. 

“Which is exactly why we’re sharing. C’mon” From there, conversation stopped. They set about showering weeks of grime from their bodies and pulling on pajamas that they hadn’t had use for until now. The moment she lay back in the bed, Sam felt all of the tension melt from her body. 

She practically groaned at the feeling. No more rocks, no more dirt, or silent wild animals to kill them in the night. No more creepy guys to ‘find’ them and offer ‘help’. She’d had enough of that for one lifetime. The blanket beside her lifted and the bed squeaked, alerting her to her best friend’s (secret crush’s) presence. Her heart thundered suddenly at their proximity but she said nothing. 

“I could get used to this” Lara sighed as she rested her head on her own pillow. 

“What, the bed or sleeping next to me?” Sam cocked an eyebrow to go along with her smirk as she pushed herself up onto an elbow. Lara laughed and smiled up at her. 

“I meant the bed, but you know, you’re not quite so bad to wake up” Sam’s heart skipped. 

“Well when you’ve actually _done_ that, maybe we can work something out. In the meantime, let’s do that whole sleeping thing” she suggested. Her best friend hummed and flicked off the lamp on the side table. 

The sudden darkness only served to highlight the small distance between them and the growing heat under the blanket. Sam didn’t know what to do. Should she ignore it? Let it fester? Should she say something? She thought Lara would drift off right away, but she kept shifting, staying awake far later than she normally would have, especially given her exhaustion. 

“Sam?” The girl blinked through the darkness and found Lara watching her. 

“Yeah?”

“May I-?” The rest of her question went unsaid but there was almost nothing she could ask that Sam would say no to, so she just nodded. She shuffled closer until their bodies were flush. Sam’s cheeks were on fire but her arms tightened around Lara’s shoulders with ease. She felt a head tuck under her chin and arms wrap around her waist. 

“Night, Lara” She felt a smile against her neck as her best friend relaxed.

“Goodnight, Sam”


	20. Sam finds Lara's videos she made when at the camp fire and in one of them Lara confesses her feelings towards Sam

“Where the _fuck_ -” Sam grunted in frustration as her hands routed fruitlessly through one of the boxes in the front room of her apartment. Each one was a mess of half destroyed belongings she and Lara had already come to terms with never seeing again, but since the police (there had been so many involved that she couldn’t have said _which_ police) had gone through the trouble of sorting through all of the shipwrecks and dilapidated buildings, the pair figured they could at least look through it. 

Lara hadn’t yet been able to look at the boxes even after a month. Truthfully, Sam was getting worried. Was her best friend just not accepting what had happened? She was having a hard go of it herself, but she was acknowledging it, she was trying to move on from being possessed by an ancient queen spirit. Lara on the other hand...

Her hand connected to a thump to hard plastic and she let out a shout of triumph. Her camera - while worse for wear - remained working and in one piece thanks to being in Lara’s backpack for most of their ‘adventure’. It was scuffed, discolored, and dented, but it turned on when Sam pressed the button. The start up trilled through the speakers and sounded too loud in the quiet apartment. 

The fold out screen displayed six thumbnails, only one of which she’d shot herself. Sam narrowed her eyes at the remaining five, suspicious. She clicked the first and waited for it to load. It ended up being a single skewed POV shot towards wooded mountains for almost five minutes before Lara’s voice could be heard off screen. 

“Shit” she heard. Then the camera was picked up and rotated to face her friend, already looking ragged. When was this? “Hey Sam!” Her voice was forcibly cheerful. “I promise I’m taking good care of this. You’ll see when I hand it back to you. Which I will do” Her eyes went steely and determined. “I always keep my promises to you” With one last awkward smile, the camera returned to the thumbnail screen. Sam sighed. 

“Oh _Lara_ ” The camera lowered to rest on her lap while she ran her hands through her hair in a useless attempt to center her wandering mind. Lara had torn herself apart to save her and she was still trying to figure what to feel about that. She picked up the camera with a clenched jaw and pressed the next thumbnail. 

The next three videos after the first were similar to how the first started, still and scenic. One of them faced the campfire and showed fifteen minutes of Lara stripped a bird to eat. Her face was emotionless and her movements mechanic. Her skin was dirtied and bloody but when she caught sight of the on camera she smiled weakly and leaned over to turn it off. 

The last video was the only different one. It started on Lara’s face, shaky and half dark thanks to flickering firelight. Lara’s eyes were focused into the lens which made it obvious that the video was definitely intentional. 

“Hello Sam. I don’t know where we’ll be when you see this or if you’ll see it at all seeing as I’m about to go fight some Russians and immortal men, probably more than I really know of,” she laughed at her unpreparedness before continuing. “If you are watching this and I’m dead, I’m so _sorry_ , but it means I’ve at least succeeded in getting you to safety and I will not apologize for that. Please live a good life that _you_ enjoy, not your father, and maybe think about me from time to time. Maybe name your first born after me”

The laugh that followed was just as self deprecating as the first and Sam’s heart clenched. Lara didn’t expect to live, not really. Just to save her. And the idea that she wanted to last words to Sam to be about her best friend’s happiness and not her own, it was heartbreaking. But it didn’t stop there. 

“If by some bloody _miracle_ we both make it out alive then I hope I’m out shopping when you see this. It would be rather embarrassing if I’m leaning over your shoulder. But Sam,” she sucked in a heavy breath through her nose and stared into the camera again. “I am in love with you. Have been since the first time you took me out dancing. You are a force of nature and I never stood a chance” She paused. “I’m going to go save you now. I promise” 

The screen flicked back to the thumbnail screen but Sam didn’t move. She was dimly aware of sitting there so long that the camera turned off. She was dimly aware of the front door and Lara talking about the woman taking too long to check out in front of her. She was dimly aware of Lara pausing and crossing the room from the kitchen to wipe tears she’d only just noticed had fallen down her face.

All she could focus on was the color of Lara’s eyes. 

“Sam, what’s wrong? Talk to me please” The hands on either side of Sam’s face her firm but not ungentle and her face was clenched in fear. 

“You love me” Sam mumbled. Lara’s eyes flickered down to the camera hanging limply from Sam’s hands, but she nodded. 

“Yes. I do” It felt suddenly as if the world slid into place. Yes, she was emotionally destroyed from something that had no right to happen and Lara was just as messed up, even more so, as she was. Yes, the world was wholly unpredictable and shitty things would probably continue to happen to them. But Lara was in love with her. She was in love with Lara. 

She reached out and drew her best friend into the tightest hug her arms could give. It was perfect when Lara’s did as well, the camera squashed between them.


	21. Lara and Sam get married

“It was hard getting here" Sam began, her voice strong and confident. “There was that whole period of denial where we refused to even admit we had feelings for each other swiftly followed by that time we nearly died a thousand times over on a lost island. But somehow, after all that and the years of restlessness that followed, we managed to get it together. And by ‘it’, I mean us” Lara squeezed her hand and looked like she wanted to cry. 

If her wife-to-be was going to cry in front of everyone they knew at their wedding, Same wanted a damn camera. 

They had spent months planning the perfect wedding. Small, yet no less grand than a massive one. It was mostly just their friends in attendance and an aunt that Sam wouldn’t have been able to bear not having, but neither could honestly be happier. And now, standing at the altar, clutching one anothers’ hands, they felt the weight of the last few years lift from their shoulders because what did they matter? They were in the right place now. 

“Frankly,” Sam paused to breathe. “I’m glad. All that time, all those obstacles, they only made standing here with you feel even more inevitable” She grinned at her best friend until her cheeks hurt. Tears slipped from Lara’s eyes and Sam’s heart clenched painfully. 

She remembered those months after Yamatai when Lara couldn’t sit still and jumped at every sound. The way her face would crumble and her hands would search out the nearest object as a weapon only made her own PTSD struggle harder to concur. So when Lara left to find more things her father had left behind, she was both relieved and horrified. 

It gave them space to heal separately, but Lara wasn’t genuinely dealing with it. She was just pushing it off for later. But then she showed up at Sam’s door at three in the morning almost a year after they’d last seen each other broken down in tears on the floor. They worked through that together. 

“From the moment we first became friends, you were the most important person in my life” Lara carefully wiped away a fallen tear. Nothing was going to mess up her make-up, not even herself. “I know that at this point I barely have to say it but, I will always be there to help you, even when it’s hard to be. And that’s a promise” Sam couldn’t help but smile. 

“And you always keep your promises to me”

“I do”


	22. Lara takes Sam rock climbing or something. But Sam is afraid of heights and doesn't want to let Lara know, so toughs it out. Lara does find out though

She’s not even a quarter of the way up when she begins to feel her arms and legs shake. It’s stupid really, she’s been through things a _million_ times worse. She shouldn’t be freaking out over a rock wall at a gym, especially not when her best friend is right there with her. But here she is; clinging on to hand holds with all her might and praying to every deity she could think of that Lara wouldn’t notice. 

She forced her eyes open and search out her personal savior. Lara is several feet above her and gaining fast. Her hands are sure and steady. There is no trace of the trauma Sam knows is lurking just beneath the surface. They dealt with things differently after all. 

With a deep, shaky breath, her left hand loosens it’s grip and attempts to reach for the next hold, so, _so_ close. However, her body is shaking too much, so she quickly abandons facing her fears in favor of another day and grabs at the one she’d just let go of. 

“Hey Sam, you alright?” Nate, the kindly (hot) instructor holding her line, calls up. She hates how obvious she is. She hates that she can’t climb a _stupid_ wall. She hates that Lara’s just _stopped_ to look back at her with worry in her _stupidly_ pretty eyes. She sighs again. 

“I’m coming down” she announces with disappointment coloring her words. 

“No problem. Can you push off the wall for me?” Again, and just as shaky as she doesn’t want to be, she nods and forces the last ounce of her willpower to propel herself off the wall. Nate lets out slack at the right time and her body comes closer to the floor. 

Her feet touch down and she could kiss him and the disgusting floor tiles. A soothing hand rests on her shoulder as she tries to catch her breath. Barely seconds later, Lara is touching down a few feet away. She marches over without unclipping herself, something her instructor (another stupid thing, as she clearly didn’t need one) would certainly complain about later. 

“Sam, what’s wrong?” She doesn’t touch her like Nate’s doing but she knows Lara wants to. She’s trying to give her breathing space. How could a person be so thoughtful and so oblivious at the same time? She tries to laugh. 

“So it turns out, I’m less okay with heights than I thought I was. I guess I gotta cut this out of the exercise regime, huh?” Sam tries to keep it light enough that she doesn’t see that line form between Lara’s eyebrows. Alas, it forms anyway. 

“Sam-”

“I’m fine Sweetie, okay?” Sam stands and rests her hands on Lara’s shoulders and smiles, not insincerely. “I know my limits. I’m okay” Lara’s frown becomes less severe as she nods. 

“You’ll let me know if something is really not okay, right?” 

“Always”


	23. Sam and Lara get in a fight at a club and when some guy starts flirting with Lara/Sam the other one gets upset and starts a bar fight

Lara slammed the heels of her hands into the bathroom door and brushed into the small room. She should have been used to Sam’s incessant need to make friends everywhere they went, but sometimes it felt like too much, like a nightclub? When she’s there with her girlfriend? Why would she feel the need to reach out to the guy next to him and start chatting when she knew how much Lara hated club’s to begin with?

She sighed and gripped the sink, willing her heartbeat to slow and her head to cool. She knew Sam was social. Getting angry about it at every opportunity was not the way to go. It never was. Nor was growling out an excuse to leave her alone at the bar. 

So all in all; less than good. 

Her hands reached up to fix her ponytail out of habit before glancing once more in the mirror. It was never easy apologizing, but she needed to. She was mostly at fault. After leaving the bathroom, she weaved her way through the throng of swaying bodies until she caught sight of her girlfriend exactly where she left her. 

But the guy getting handsy next to her was not what she wanted to see. 

Sam’s face was the picture definition of a polite, if uncomfortable, smile. Her body was half turned away from him as she could get and she was on the edge of her seat, leaning away. Whatever was going on was clearly not what Sam wanted. So Lara decided to do what she always did; save Sam. 

“Excuse me” Lara interrupted once she was close enough. Sam whipped around and grinned with relief, but the man just frowned at her in confusion. “I don’t think she wants to talk to you anymore” As much as PDA wasn’t her thing, she slung an arm around Sam’s waist to hammer home the point. Her girlfriend leaned into it and Lara could have smiled. 

“If she don’t want me here, she’ll say so, yeah? Piss off” He leaned closer into Sam. Naturally, this was where Lara should have taken Sam’s hand and lead her some where else, _anywhere_ else. The dance floor, another bar, even home would have been better. 

“How about _you_ piss off, _mate_? You’re too thick to see she’s clearly bothered by you” She felt Sam’s wary hand on her arm but it was too late.

“I’ll do whatever I bleedin want-” And then Lara’s fist flew.

_

“I’m sorry, Sam”

“It’s alright. You were defending my honor. I probably could have been more forceful too”

“He should have taken the hint, it’s not all on you”

“No, you’re right”

“Sam, I’m sorry for earlier”

“I know”

“I love you”

“I love you too”

“Also, I’m sorry about making us spend the night in a prison cell” Sam adjusted against Lara’s side and settled into the creaky cell bed.

“I know. But hey, it’s not the worst place we’ve slept”

“I wish that wasn’t true”


	24. going through a divorce au

Lara sighed and pressed her forehead harder into her hand. If she’d known three years ago that getting married to get everyone off her back about it would only end up with her sitting alone at Starbucks with pages and pages of legal terms and documents that she couldn’t follow, she might not have done it. The coffee wasn’t even that good. 

Alex had been.... _nice_ , for the most part. He treated her kindly, he tended to her needs when he could, he respected her work, he might have even been in love with her at some point. She should have been less surprised when he’d come home one day with a resigned look on his face and slumped shoulders. 

“What are we doing?”

The question spelled the end of the last three years. From there, her days were a whirlwind of lawyers and headaches. And moving out. Because she’d never really liked their flat all that much. It was in the too busy part of London. 

She blinked away another run-on sentence and sighed. Maybe it wasn’t worth it. She didn’t really want to get married in the future, she had more than enough money that he could use. As long as she didn’t have to talk to him or see him every day, she could stay married. Would that be so bad?

The chair across from her screeched loudly as it was pulled away from the table and a woman sat down on it with a moan. She grinned at Lara who stared at her in confusion. 

“I have been on my feet _all_ day and let me tell you, it feels great to feel my toes again. London is great, but this cold rain thing you guys have got here kind of kills me” Her American accent was almost as jarring as her easy grin. She dropped her drink in front of her and another beside Lara’s cold dregs. “Hi” she said simply. 

“Hello” Lara thought for sure her bewilderment and confusion was obvious but they way the girl eyed her (in a flirty way (which was confusing enough)), she hadn’t noticed. 

“I’m Sam” Her eyes finally caught on the wordy papers strewn over table and picked one up. She skimmed it quickly and slid it back into place with an amused face. “And you are either a lawyer or you are in a court case, in which case, I’m sorry” Oddly enough, she didn’t put all of this together (or she did (which was even more confusing)) and leaned back in her chair, her warm brown eyes searching Lara. 

“I’m getting divorced” she stated simply. Sam’s eyes widened before she nodded calmly. 

“It happens to the best of us. Not me of course, I’m not stupid enough to get married. Why did you?” Lara shrugged. 

“It seemed like a good idea at the time. I was tired of people asking me when I was going to” Sam laughed. 

“That’s the problem. You have to _love_ it” Lara frowned at her, intrigued by this woman who bought her a coffee, sat at her table, and decided to get entrenched in her business. 

“You bought me a coffee”

“I did”

“Why?”

“I was hoping it’d be a good segue into buying you dinner”


	25. Working together in a haunted house AU

“Sam!” Lara whispered hoarsely into the black space behind the set. An overly white face popped out from the dark, giving her the look of a surprised ghost. “I need you to fix my make up” Same grinned and pulled entirely out of the shadows. 

“Yeah, no prob. C’mon” Fingers looped around Lara’s wrist and pulled her in the direction of the operations room. The touch sent shock waves through her body, and no matter how hard she tried to control her suddenly rapid heartbeat, she couldn’t. 

The room was well lit - too well lit really, blinding - when they entered. Jonah sat in a chair eating his lunch, his werewolf costume presenting a humorous image. He waved at them with a smile and Lara returned it as she took a seat of her own. He took one last bite before pushing through the doors and continuing to make people scream. Sam plopped herself into a chair in front of her with a make up kit in hand.

“Now don’t move” she commanded. Lara’s lips twitched into a smile and Sam  scowled. 

“Sorry. I’ll be good” She closed her eyes and let the feeling of Sam’s feather light touch over her skin lull her into a quiet sort of peace. She spent most of her day hanging upside down and falling from the rafters to scare people, so it was nice to get away from that for a little, especially with Sam.

“Have you been avoiding me?” The peace evaporated and Lara cracked open an eye. Sam was focusing on her work and refusing to meet her gaze.

“I don’t think I have, why do you think so?” she asked. Sam shrugged and dipped the brush into the face paint. 

“I don’t know. It just seems like every time I go into a room you’re trying to leave it or make yourself look busy so that I can’t talk to you. I miss my best friend” The brush stopped moving. Lara opened both her eyes and stared down at the wilted form before her. 

“I lied,” Sam looked up, scandalized, “a little bit. I was avoiding you" she admitted softly. 

“Why?” The question was broken and confused. Lara made a point to not see Sam’s tears. 

“Because I don’t know how to avoid the fact that I’m in love with you” The admission hung in the air between them. Lara hadn’t expected to say it, not really. It always on the tip of her tongue these days, but the idea of saying it and losing Sam locked her jaw. 

“You are so dumb” Oh. All right then. 

“Might I ask why?”

“I have literally been pining after you for months. You are _so_ dumb” Sam’s face looked both relieved and exasperated and Lara couldn’t tell which was more prevalent. 

“I would say I probably am”


	26. i was shopping but then the place got robbed and you totally saved me omg who are you

Sam is mad. Actually, ‘mad’ is kind of an understatement. Sam is _furious_. She had ten minutes to do what she needed to do at the bank and now some lunatic is waving a gun around demanding everyone get on the floor while his buddy screams at the tellers. It has definitely been more than ten minutes, and Sam is definitely going to be fired for being late again. 

So it goes. 

“Pull all your phones in this bag! If I see anyone with a phone, they're going to get shot! Am I understood?!” one of the men shouted. This was why Sam left America in the first place. Coming back was such a bad idea. The man is almost to her with an outstretched bag and she thinks it’ll be a good idea to just tuck it into her pocket and pretend she doesn’t have it at all, but she’s caught. “Hey!” She blinks, pretending to be surprised. 

“What? Me?” He stomps over to her and she can’t help but think of that painting of a bird saying ‘I took a calculated risk, but boy am I bad at math’. He grabs the front of her shirt roughly and drags her to her feet.

“Give me your phone” he growls. His breath smells bad. Sam is 94% sure she’s got a spare mint in her bag. 

“I don’t have one” She hates how she’s not panicking at all because it makes her lie that much more blatant. He scowls too close to her face. He looks like he’s about to punch her with his free hand when suddenly his legs are swept out from under him and he’s on the floor with his own gun pointed in his face. 

“Don’t move” an authoritative British accent demands. He raises his hands and blinks away his shock and frankly, Sam has to do the same. A woman is crouched by his head with both hands holding the gun steady at his face. She’s in a leather jacket and hoodie combination with her long hair pulled into a ponytail. What Sam can see of her face is gorgeous. 

But she can’t watch her for long because she’s whirling around towards the second man, whipping her leg out - in what must be the same tactic she used before - and the man drops just like the other. She grabs his gun way from him as well and tells him to be just as still as his partner. Her attention is on the shaking teller next. 

“Look,” she says, sliding the guns through the tiny cage (the teller is wide eyed and panicked), “I have to go, but here’s my name and phone number if the police would like to speak with me” She scribbles on a cash withdrawal slip and slides it with the guns. 

She casually marches through the door as if nothing at all happened. By the time Sam wakes up enough to chase after her, she hears cop cars pulling up outside and she knows her chance is ruined. Then she remembers the withdrawal slip. Her legs carry her over to the teller and she grabs the slip. Her phone is in her hand and she takes a picture before the cops can come in and take it for evidence. She looks down at the photo as someone - it’s probably a cop, only they and robbers manhandle people - grabs her arm. 

_Lara Croft_


	27. Lara drags Sam camping and they get snowed in their tent and have to find ways to keep warm

When Lara suggested going on vacation, Sam expected beaches, mimosas, and copious amounts of sun. Being half freezing to death while snow piles in all around their tent was not on her to-do list. 

And yet it was clear that Siberia was trying to kill them. 

Sam wrapped her arms tighter around her body, her hands moving constantly. She shot a scathing glance at her best friend who was trying to warm their food, their not at all tasty food. 

“I’m mad at you” she announced over the roar of the wind outside. Lara glanced at her before directing her attention back to the food. 

“Why?” _‘Why?’_ Did she really not know?

“This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when you said the word ‘vacation’. I was expecting bikinis and sun and getting drunk. This is none of the above” Sam grumbled loudly and turned her back. She could stare at the endless expanse of white weather through a tiny plastic window and that was going to be infinitely more exciting than her crazy attractive best friend that she couldn’t keep her eyes off of. It had to be if she wanted to get through this ‘vacation’. There was shuffling for a moment behind her. Then silence. 

“Sam,” Lara’s voice was soft and apologetic. Sam could already feel the anger leaking out of her. “I’m sorry. I thought you’d realize that sort of thing isn’t for me. That’s never been what we do,” Sam turned to face her and her expression perfectly matched her voice. “but if I’d known, we could go to Greece or-” 

“No, stop” Sam rolled her eyes and sighed as she laid a hand to Lara’s chest. “stop apologizing. I’m just cold and irritable. You know there’s no where else I’d rather be than _Siberia_ ” Lara raised a skeptical eyebrow. “I mean it!”

“That doesn’t make me any less sorry” Sam groaned and shuffled across the space between them to gather her friend in a hug. 

“Then make it up to me by making me warm” A sudden laugh rumbled against her face. 

“And how do you propose I do that?” Lara pulled out of the hug just enough to smile in amusement at the girl curled around her, but the laughter quickly dissolved off her face. They were too close. Their eyes were locked. Moments filled with similar tension had become a common occurrence. They would get so close and panic, but Sam had enough. She knew how she felt and she was pretty sure she knew how Lara felt. Her voice was deeper than usual when she spoke. 

“I’m sure you can think of something” Lara’s eyes fluttered in sudden arousal. 

“One or two things” Sam didn’t have such trouble getting warm after that.


	28. librarian/avid reader au

Lara narrowed her eyes as the girl burst through the library doors and marched over to the film section for the fourth time that week. Was it so hard to keep the doors on their hinges or was that legitimately too much of a challenge? With a frustrated huff, she turned back to the computer to continue cataloguing. If the girl came up to the desk to take something out - and past experience said she would - then Lara would say something then. 

The library was quiet for a Saturday. Since it was near finals, it should have been for more crowded with kids panicking not to fail their classes. Maybe they were just panicking at home and only the seniors were there. Lara herself was in good standing to pass all of her classes with honors, so she wasn’t much scared of finals. She would study when she got home. She’d be ready. 

One of the books she was entering into the system was one she’d definitely take out for light reading after the semester was over. New information on Ötzi? Not exactly her line of specialty, but still super interesting. The tattoos were what clinched it. And the book was clearly new- 

A short stack of books dropped heavily onto the counter, ripping her from her archeology induced excitement. It was the film girl, watching her expectantly. 

“Hello” Lara tried to keep her agitation to a minimum. 

“Hi, can I take these out?” The little round green sticker on each of the spines told Lara that the girl could and probably knew it. 

“Yes, may I have your school ID?” She set about opening the borrowing application on the computer and pulled the pile closer. 

“I could also give you my number if you want” the girl answered. Lara froze, one nook mid-air as she’d moved to scan its bar code. The girl blinked, frowned, and doubled over, clutching her knees. “That was bad, that was _so_ bad. Oh my god” 

“Are you alright?” Lara was sure she hadn’t blinked in the last five minutes in confusion. 

“A month of self-control and I blow it in the literal _worst_ pick-up line I could have used,” The girl stood up straight again and Lara was struck with how pretty the girl was. She hadn’t been paying attention before to due her anger at her door manners, but now, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed. “ _but_ I did mean it. You’re super attractive and you’ve got this great brooding look about you and I think I could woo you. Would you like to go out sometime?” 

“Um,” Lara had a lot of questions. “What’s your name?” she settled on. The girl grinned wide. 

“Hi. My name is Sam” Sam stuck out her hand. After a moment’s deliberation, Lara took it. 

“I’m Lara, and yes, you may take me out”


	29. incredibly long cross-country train ride AU

_12:11am_

Lara slid into her seat with a relieved sigh. She’d spent the last week racing around Parisian catacombs and frankly, it was good to rest. But also she needed to get out quick. She might have found the ancient bible first, but her pursuers weren’t far off her tail.

People push past her seat, looking just as exhausted as she felt until finally a young woman - around her age - dropped into the seat across from her. Her short dark hair is cut exactly and her clothes are expensive. Lara frowned. Why was she taking the train? The woman glanced up at her.

“What?” she challenged. American. That made slightly more sense. A shake of her head sent the woman rolling her eyes and leaning against the window. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes. Barely a minute passed and she was asleep. It was impressive really.

_4:54 am_

The train took a sharp turn that sent Lara shooting out of her seat into into the lap of the American woman.

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry” she mumbled as she scrambled off the sleepy woman.

“I know I’m attractive, but please don’t throw yourself at me” Lara’s eyebrows shot into her hairline. The woman didn’t even open her eyes as she shifted once more against the windows. Was she awake? Did she know what she just said? Another minute and the woman didn’t move. Intriguing.

_6:06 am_

Lara rubbed the crustiness from her eyes and yawned. The woman across from her had woken. She stared across at Lara, her dark eyes sharp.

“You landed on me last night” she stated. Oh, it was too early for that.

“I did”

“And why was that?”

“The train jostled me. I am sorry for that” She leveled the woman with a glare. She couldn’t _really_ be mad, could she? The woman blinked slowly and nodded. 

“Gotcha. To be honest, I barely remember. Half asleep. I’m Sam” She held a hand out that Lara took.

“Lara. Good to meet you”

_9:20 am_

“And then of _course_ he tells me that ‘no, people don’t sound like that when they get stabbed in the back’, which, let’s be honest, who really knows that?” Sam paused to take a sip of train tea. “So I just kicked him off my set. Adam could do his part no problem” The ride had turned into an exchange of stories each more ridiculous than the last. 

“He’s right, you know. It doesn’t sound how you think” Lara commented. Sam watched her carefully. 

“And you know that, how?” Lara laughed. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

_12:16 pm_

“You know,” Sam turned to her as they stood on the platform, “I expected this to be a super crappy ride. I mean, come one, twelve hours of trains? But you, Miss Croft, turned it into a true experience”

“Can’t say you didn’t do the same. We should um,” Lara wasn’t usually the one to go out of her way, but it felt like a moment for it. “we should get together sometime” She watched the question sink in and Sam’s smile spread slowly and mischievously.

“Yeah let’s do it” Lara’s heart burst of excitement in her chest. This was good. Sam was good. Her _and_ Sam would be great.


	30. So have you seen Mad Max: Fury Road? I just watched it and it would be awesome to see a crossover type thing with Lara as Furiosa and Sam as either Max or, since Sam isn't really a warrior type, one of the wives that Furiosa helps.

Lara was getting real tired of the sand. It was everywhere and in everything. She couldn’t help but remember the brief flash of her life so long ago when there was green. Green for as far as the eye could see. 

But now there was sand. 

And a backseat full of girls she barely knew, but had pledged to bring to freedom. What a wacky world it was. 

“Are you sure we’ll get there before they can find us?” the light haired one - Amanda - asked for at least the third time that day. Lara clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. 

“It’s never 100%, but unless and of you said something, we should have enough of a lead, yes,” she grumbled, “go to sleep. You’ll need the rest” Night had fallen and the desert was cooling fast, Lara could already feel the chill in her bones. She wanted nothing more than to set up camp, but that would be a death sentence. A girl - because they were _not_ wives - scrambled into the passenger seat. For a long while, she said nothing. The roar of the engine and the passing of sand fills Lara’s periphery until she forgets the girl is there. 

“I haven’t thanked you yet. For all this. Whether we make it or not. You’re taking a huge chance on us and I couldn’t be more grateful” Her voice was softer than she expected. She was the dark haired one with the dark eyes. Lara would never admit she’d been looking. 

“It’s not that big of a deal. We’re all going the same way”

“Yes, but you could have left us. You’d have a lot less people on your tail” Lara shrugged. 

“Like I said; no big deal”

 

~

 

The Green Place was not quite as green as Lara remembered it, but it was still a sanctuary of women who wanted to protect her and the girls. They are immediately given chores and tents to stay in. 

Slowly, it becomes life. 

Two of the girls give birth, one doesn’t. The oldest of the women becomes a nanny while the girls do their chores because apparently babies aren’t all that different from the plants she tends to every day. Lara’s eye still caught on the dark eyed girl, on _Sam_. She still tore her gaze away and back down to the bikes she tried to repair. She still avoided touching her because she didn’t have _room_ for attachment and she still lost that battle. 

Sam’s fingers wrapped around her wrist one night as they finished their dinners. The first was growing nicely and Lara’s stomach felt fuller than it ever had at the citadel. 

“Lara,” Sam’s voice was sweeter than the fruit, “come to my tent” Lara frowned. 

“Is something broken?” The look on the girl’s face spoke of exasperation and impatience. 

“No”

“Oh” Sam tugged on her hand and she followed dutifully.


	31. having each others names on coke bottles and discovering it in the line to pay au

For a company as widespread as Coca-Cola, it was a surprise that Lara hadn’t had a coke in six months. Her work sent her to far off remote locations that were somehow outside the reach of the massive conglomerate, and six months was too long for Lara. 

She needed a coke. 

She wasn’t even out of the airport before she marched over to a small shop and grabbed at the nearest red bottle. Impatience and disappointment raged through her body when she saw the length of the line leading to the cash register. With a drawn out sigh, she filed into the back. 

The cashier was elderly, his hands shaking and missing the buttons as he tried to key in the prices. He only took longer when his glasses slipped straight off his nose, rendering him near blind. Lara felt the full impact of her trip then, the exhaustion, the dust, sweat, the running from people to save her own life. It all settled on her shoulders and she _just wanted to drink Coke_. 

“Hey, you got my name!” Lara startled as a hand reached out from behind her and tapped the lid of her Coke. The hand belonged to a woman her age (yes, she was beautiful, but so what?) with a cheery grin and a Coke of her own. Lo and behold, the Coke had an interesting label. 

“And it seems you have mine” she countered with a nod towards the woman’s drink. The woman’s eyes went wide and read the name. 

“No kidding!” She grinned and held her hand out. “It’s nice to meet you, Lara” Lara quickly read her own before taking the hand. 

“And you, Sam” She _hated_ the way her heart thundered in her chest like a kid with social anxiety in a spelling bee, stammering over each letter. She _despised_ the way she wanted to sink into the girl’s warm brown eyes. She was _infuriated_ that Sam had no control over that. 

“You look tired” Sam observed, her eyes taking in the bags under Lara’s eyes and her lightly torn clothing. The archeologist laughed through her nose and raised her Coke again. 

“That’s what this is for”

“Ma’am? I can take you now” An old withering voice broke into the conversation. Turning, she found that the line in front of her had vanished and now the wrinkly old man smiled toothlessly at her. 

“Right” Lara dropped the Coke on the counter and the man - ‘Harold’ if his name tag was right - set to work keying it in. A long minute later, he handed her a receipt and her change. 

“Have a lovely day” She took it, ready to leave when a thought crossed her mind. 

“Thank you, but, ah, have you got a pen?” Harold pulled one from his pocket and Lara rapidly scribbled her name and number on the back of the crinkly paper. She thanked him and turned on her heel, presenting the paper to a baffled Sam. “For you, if you’d ever like to have dinner sometime”. She steadfastly ignored the heat that crawled over her face and focused instead on Sam’s slow smile. 

“Yeah, all right”


	32. celebrity/fan au

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \+ au lara/sam where they meet at a concert. One is in a rock band and they ask the other to come on stage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I've done something very wrong with this, please let me know. I will absolutely fix it if there's an issue.

Not for the first time in her life - likely nor for the last - Lara thought it was an utterly inconvenient thing to be mute. 

Most of the time, it was barely an issue; there was ASL, email, writing, texting, all sorts of things that could help her be understood. And she was an _archeologist_. Upwards of 90% of her interactions were through academic papers. It wasn’t a problem. 

Until she said yes to Amanda’s spare concert ticket and found herself pulled on stage. 

Now 3,000 people stared at her expectantly and there was nothing she could do. The band continued to play, looping the same musical passages over and over while the lead singer, Sam - a truly _gorgeous_ woman that was most of the reason Lara had said yes in the first place - began to frown. Lara had to do something.

She knocked one index finger with the other and tapped the right side of her mouth with a flat hand, her eyes frantic and wide. _Can’t speak_! A quick glance told her Amanda was just as mortified. The ASL seemed to clue Sam the Singer in and she grinned. She pulled two fingers from her lips, pointed at Lara, and rubbed the spot below her lower lip. _Are you hearing?_

For _far_ longer than necessary, Lara stared in wonder. Her celebrity crush knew ASL. _Fluently_. She managed a nod, causing Sam to grin wider and flip through a series of rapid signs. Her eyes sparkled with each motion and _oh_ this was going to be something to freak out about later. She nodded again and Sam through her arm around her shoulders, lifting the mic to her mouth. 

“So we’ve got something really cool for you all. This is my friend-” she glanced to Lara, her eyebrow quirked so the Archeologist quickly spelled her name, “-Lara, and she’s gonna sing the rest of this song with me _her_ way. It’s gonna be great! Take us in, Alex!” The drummer took his queue and transitioned the rest of the band back into the song. 

Sam’s voiced filled Lara’s ears as her fingers flew to keep up with the lyrics. It was surreal. And with Sam _grinning_ at her like that, well, it was a dream-come-true. 


End file.
